Honeymoon Over In Westwood

After a 3-0 start UCLA has gone 0-5, and Bruins fans are frustrated.

By KURT HELIN

Updated 12:15 PM PDT, Fri, Nov 6, 2009

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The season started with such promise — UCLA was 3-0 and even beat traditional SEC power Tennessee on the road. The feeling was the program had turned the corner.

It turns out, it was just going in circles. October was a dark month for Bruin football — the team went 0-5 with some ugly losses. Up this Saturday is a Washington team that beat USC and has a speedy quarterback catching the eye of NFL scouts.

The feeling that November could look a lot like October — the honeymoon coach Rick Neuheisel and his offensive guru Norm Chow had is over. Let the bickering begin.

UCLA’s offense averages 19.9 points per game, 107th in the NCAA. They are 104th in the NCAA in rushing yards per game (102), and 73rd in passing yards per game. Blame it on a freshman quarterback, or a young offensive line, or the ghost of Bob Toledo, but the bottom line is the offense has been terrible.

In those three season-opening wins the defense bailed the offense out. Remember the big defensive stands in Tennessee? UCLA did not give up more than 15 points per game in those wins. But in the losses the defense has been average at best, giving up 29 points per game.

The problem Neuheisel faces is that he came in preaching hope — UCLA was going to challenge USC’s football dominance. They were going to be a big dog. With Chow on board, the offense would light up the scoreboard. UCLA fans loved it and bought in.

It’s hard to keep hope alive when what you are selling is a good fourth quarter against Oregon State that was almost a comeback. Almost.

UCLA fans shouldn’t abandon all hope just yet — they have talent, it’s just young talent. Kevin Prince is a freshman quarterback in a tough conference. Wide receivers Taylor Embree and Nelson Rosario are playmakers, but they are both sophomores. The offensive line is all very young.

Norm Chow can develop quarterbacks and talent. He’s proven that for decades. But this rebuilding project is going to take some time — next year UCLA will be better, in a couple years maybe much better. There is hope in Westwood beyond just the start of basketball season.

But that hope needs to become some reality sooner rather than later. And the reality this week of Jake Locker and a good Washington Huskies team hungry for a win may not be a pretty one for UCLA.